The Hanwha-Samsung team suffered a humiliating loss in the Japan Education League.
The team lost 0-8 against Chiba Lotte at Sunmarine Stadium in Miyazaki, Japan, on April 28.
Starting pitcher Kim Min-woo took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 2⅔ innings. Jang Ji-soo gave up one run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings and Yang Kyung-mo gave up two runs on two hits in one inning.
Kim struck out the leadoff batter in the first inning and loaded the bases with a walk. Heo Kwan-ho prevented the runner from stealing second with one out and got a swinging strikeout on a forked ball to end the inning. He was hit by a pitch two batters later, but the second baseman fouled out to end the inning.주소
Min-woo Kim fell apart in the third inning. He walked the leadoff batter on eight pitches, and a bunt turned into an infield single to put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third.
Kim Min-woo threw a forkball, but gave up a two-run double to right field. Kyota Fujiwara, who was selected to the APBC Japan National Team, singled to right to put runners on first and third, and Yamaguchi, who has 14 home runs this season, hit a sacrifice fly to center for the third run.
With two outs, Kim Min-woo’s throw to first base went behind the plate, advancing the runner to third. He was hit by a two-run home run to score the fifth run. The next at-bat, a stolen base and a throwing error by the catcher put runners on second and third. After allowing a walk, the pitcher was replaced by Jang Ji-soo. Jang saved the day with a foul fly to first base.
Jang gave up a triple to the leadoff batter in the fourth inning and a single a batter later to score another run. In the fifth inning, Yang gave up a walk, a triple to right, and a single to left.
Sung Ji-hoon pitched two innings of two-hit ball with two strikeouts, Jung Yi-hwang pitched one inning of two-hit ball with one strikeout, and Kim Kyu-young pitched one inning of one-hit ball with one strikeout.
Moon Hyun-bin (second base), Kim Tae-hoon (left field), Ha Ju-seok (shortstop), Kim In-hwan (designated hitter), Lee Jin-young (right field), Heo Kwan-hoe (catcher), Eu Eui-yeol (center field), Kim Jae-sang (first base), and Kim Geon (third base) were the starting lineup for the Union team. Lee was immediately replaced by pinch-hitter Ryu Seung-min in the bottom of the first inning.
The Union banged out six hits, including a 2-for-3 performance by Ha Ju-seok, but failed to score a run. Chiba Lotte’s relay pitching of Fumiya Motomae (26), Tokito Kawamura (26), Kirato Nagashimada (19), and Fuuki Tanaka (20) was the difference. Of the four, Motomae was the only one to start a game for the first team this season, pitching five innings and allowing two runs.
In the bottom of the first inning, Ha Ju-seok singled up the middle and Kim In-hwan followed with a single to right to put runners on first and third. Ryu Seung-min came in as a pinch hitter and grounded out to the second baseman to end the threat.
Unified retired the side in order in the second and third innings. In the fourth inning, Ha Ju-seok led off with a single to left, but Kim In-hwan fouled out to third, Ryu Seung-min flied out to center, and Heo Kwan-ho struck out to end the inning.
In the fifth inning, the leadoff hitter, Eu Eui-yeol, singled up the middle, but Kim Jae-sang grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the threat. After that, the Union team did not create any chances. The sixth inning ended in a triple play, and in the seventh, Heo Kwan-ho singled with two outs, but Uribe was thrown out at shortstop.
In the eighth, Kim Jae-sang led off with a single to right, but the next three batters were stranded. In the ninth inning, Lee Min-joon, Yang Woo-hyun, and Ryu Seung-min struck out in a triple play to end the game without scoring a run.